Daily Health Tips: Is It Good For Students To Study Late At Night And Midnights?

Posted on June 15, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Is it also good for students to study late at night and midnights?

A: Well, this is a question that has troubled mankind forever. Is it good? Well, as an adult, you need an average of 7 to 8 hours of sleep, minimum per day. If you have not been getting this number of hours of sleep for a while, then the number required daily increases. It’s just a clear case of not being able to cheat nature.
Different students like to study differently. Some prefer the day time, others prefer midnight when it’s dark and quiet. I belong to the first class and the only time I tried to do what others were doing (reading at night) with coffee to boot, I spent all night in the toilet 😀

Read about that here: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/01/17/daily-health-tips-coffee-energy-drinks-et-al/

So, if you’re preparing for an exam and need to swot late at night for a while to get up to speed, that’s okay. It just can’t be a regular event. It’s also important to sleep in a place where you’re not constantly being disturbed, perhaps with slamming doors etc. Quality of sleep is just about as important as quantity. Consistently getting less than the required amount of sleep is associated with stress and many chronic diseases. It also makes you sleepy during the day and slows you down. So, try getting significant work done during the day or keeping up with your reading as the courses are taught so that you don’t have too much to do when it is time for exams and so that you can free up your nights.

For working parents who are studying for extra degrees, I guess this is better said than done. However, what is fact is the effect that sleep deprivation has on the body and so it is important to pace oneself.

Also ensure that you eat well: fruits, veggies and complex carbs. Exercise (or be active) for at least 30 minutes on 5 days of the week and try and stay off fast food. The latter is very attractive when you’re studying. It’s a bit like you’re eating in front of a television:you keep digging in and eating more without really paying attention. Eating this triggers your desire for more fast food and before you know it, a vicious cycle is initiated and obesity gets added to the mix.

I hope this helps.

Have a good night y’all 😀

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Can you give the gift of life?

Posted on June 14, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

In honour of World Blood Donor Day 2015.

chatwithdrketch's avatarchatwithketch

What does having the power to give the gift of life mean? Is it the birthing of a baby, as a great percentage of women are able to do? Is it the role the men and women play in the miracle of conception? Is it the role of doctors in being able to take life and death decisions that affect their patients? The list could go on forever and I guess in some ways these different people play major roles in determining life at some point or the other.  

I take a few seconds to issue a quick disclaimer that this concept of giving the gift of life is very different from playing God. Only God can play God :D. The rest of us? We only play roles he has prescribed. A friend of mine would say cynically, ‘if men were God…’

Back to the discourse; is this role of…

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Random Recipes…

Posted on June 14, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

Random Recipes…

Do you have a sweet tooth and yearn for that cup of ice cream with some crunch? Well, here’s how you can improvise.

Make some yoghurt (unsweetened). I’ve shared the recipe for yoghurt here several times. Here’s the link to it: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/10/27/daily-health-tips-recipe-for-and-storage-of-yoghurt/

Get some fruits in season. I love to use mangoes and/or bananas. If you’re going to use both, one small mango and one medium sized banana is sufficient for a long glass. Scoop out the pulp of the mango and then cut up the bananas. Add the fruits to a blender one measuring cup of yoghurt. If you don’t have a measuring cup, just estimate. Blend both. If you want it thick, don’t blend for too long. If you want it runny (like drinking yoghurt) then blend for longer.

Serve in a nice, long cup. If you like some crunch, you can sprinkle some unsalted nuts (almonds, cashew or even peanuts) or some whole grain, crunchy cereal on top.

Improvisations:
I you don’t have a blender, you can mash up the fruits and add to the yoghurt. You will expect that the blend will not be so smooth and will have nice, delicious bits and lumps in it.

If you don’t have yoghurt or can’t make it immediately, you can replace the yoghurt with skimmed milk.

Yum, yum, yum!!!

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Our Take On Some Pregnancy Myths

Posted on June 14, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

Pregnant women get lots of advice: from friends, mothers, mothers-in-law, colleagues, husbands etc. Sometimes it’s confusing to know what’s true and what’s not.

Here’s our take on some of them:

Advice
The first breast milk, colostrum, should be discarded as it is dirty and causes rashes in children

Fiction (False)
Colostrum is the first milk produced by the mother and is loaded with antibodies and nutrients needed by the baby. Babies should not be deprived of this milk.

Advice
Women should not take the prenatal vitamins (antenatal drugs) given at the hospitals because it makes babies grow unnecessarily big.

Fiction:
The iron tablets are important to prevent anaemia (blood shortage) in pregnant women and the folic acid ensures that baby’s spine develops well with no defects. In fact, it is advised that women who wish to get pregnant should start taking folic acid about 3 months before they conceive.

Advice
Pregnant women should not drink directly from the bottle so that baby will not have hiccups

Fact or Fiction?
You want to know our verdict? Get details from the book, Just For The Health Of It. You can get a copy via the shop now link on our facebook page. Or you can get it through:

1) Jumia.com. Just click on this link http://www.jumia.com.ng/jumia-books-just-for-the-health-of-it-with-dr-ketch-179486.html and get a copy. You have the option of paying when the book is delivered to you or paying online. This service is available all over Nigeria.

2) Another option for those in Lagos is Laterna Bookshop on 13, Oko-Awo Close, Off Adetokunbo Ademola Street,. Victoria Island.

3) If you’re outside the country, please visit Amazon through this link http://www.amazon.com/Just-Health-Ketch-Pregnancy-Parenting/dp/9789398026/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426246647&sr=1-1&keywords=just+for+the+health+of+it+with+dr+ketch+olalere+nkechi

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Watch The Dr Ketch Show: Osteoporosis (Brittle Bones)

Posted on June 13, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

Did you miss our show on osteoporosis? Do want to know what foods are full of calcium and how much of them you should be getting everyday? Get the full half hour episode here with Ms Taiwo Ajai-Lycett who tells us her ‘personal; secrets for being fit and agile at 73 years.
Watch the show here

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Oral Hygiene Tips Brought To You By Oral B Toothpaste

Posted on June 13, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

Oral Hygiene Tips Proudly Brought To You By Oral B Toothpaste

Do you love your ice and just love to chew on it? Well, here’s news for you. You just might be contributing to the development of sensitive teeth. Sensitive teeth are a source of pain to whoever has them as they often times feel a sharp pain in their teeth when they take cold or hot drinks and even when air touches their teeth.

What else can cause this? Let’s give you 5 causes of teeth sensitivity:

Acidic foods like lemon and lime, yoghurt, carbonated drinks and even tea can cause erosion of the enamel of your teeth. A good preventive measure is to use straws, where possible, while taking these drinks and be sure to rinse out your mouth with water or even drink milk afterwards to neutrailze their effects.

Using a hard bristled toothbrush and brushing too hard. Studies have shown again and again, that it is not the intensity of the brushing that gets the job done. Focus should be on technique. Constantly going at your teeth like a dog with a bone could lead to wearing down of the enamel and eventual teeth sensitivity.

Teeth whitening products may also be contributory to teeth sensitivity. So be cautious while using them and wherever in doubt, speak to your dentist.

Cracked or chipped teeth:When teeth have chips or cracks, perhaps from chewing ice cubes or opening bottle tops, they can fill up with bacteria that cause gum inflammation and eventual sensitivity.

Gum disease:This exposes the root surface such that it is easier for the nerve endings to be reached.

So, be careful. Teeth sensitivity can leave you miserable. Don’t give it a chance and where in doubt see your dentist

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Daily Health Tips: When Is The Best Time To Have A Baby After C-Section Or A Still Birth?

Posted on June 12, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

Q: But doc I’ve seen women who are pregnant and breast feeding their baby and the baby got so sick please throw more light to this issue of pregnancy and breast feeding at the same time

Q: Thanks for the information. I have a similar problem now and I want to know what to do. My 1st child is one year this month, and I’m one month pregnant. I had my first baby through C-section. Please what do you advice?

Q: Please doc, answer this one. What about a situation when a mother loses her baby at birth? Is it okay to get pregnant immediately, say three months later? What’s the implication of this?

A: Hello everyone. It was certainly very interesting to see the interest yesterday’s post generated. So, I’ve chosen some of the follow-up questions to address today.

Breast feeding is important and critical for every child and that’s why even a pregnancy is not an indication to stop breastfeeding. However, breastfeeding when pregnant is not for every woman. As my earlier posts said, women who have had premature babies or who have pre-term contractions or multiple pregnancies may not be ideal candidates. In addition, the breastfeeding mother needs to be well nourished in order to feed her baby. When you combine those nutritional requirements with that of also nourishing a baby on the inside, then y’all understand that this woman has to be REALLY well nourished. She’s got to commit to eating right, attending her antenatal classes regularly and taking her antenatal drugs faithfully. So, anyone who cannot keep up with this may very well have to wean early.

When is the best time to put to bed after a still birth? Or even after a live birth? Or after C-section? There are lots of opinions on this: 3 months, 6 months, 2 years etc, but the general consensus is that if you had vaginal delivery, about three months may be a safe time to start. If you have had a Caesarian section, at least six months. Remember that apart from the physical effect that pregnancy has on the body, there are also the emotional issues to deal with, for instance, in a woman dealing with a still born child. These all have to be taken into consideration in deciding the best time to try again in spite of the guides given above. Remember, that it is very important to be guided by your obstetrician during the entire period.

And by the way, if you find that you’re pregnant earlier than the periods mentioned here, you don’t really need to panic…because I kinda sense someone’s going to ask me that tomorrow 😀 Just be sure to get registered with a great doctor as soon as possible.
This might be a good time to remind y’all that while exclusive breastfeeding may help prevent pregnancy in some cases, it’s not foolproof and so it’s important for breastfeeding mothers to have some other method of contraception or stand the risk of having baby 2 while still nursing baby 1 😀

That’s it, people 😀

Have a good night, y’all 🙂

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Daily Health Tips: What Should Be The Ideal Spacing Between Pregnancies?

Posted on June 11, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

Q: Please Doc, what is the right spacing for giving birth/pregnancies? How old should your last child be before you think of getting pregnant again?

A: Interesting question! And a good one too! 😀 I smile because I had two babies in two consecutive years (2004 and 2005)! They are really a year and 9 months apart but it was kinda embarrassing when people pointed that I practically had them back to back 😀

Truth is, when you and hubby choose to have children is totally up to you but just like everything else in life, there are choices we make that may not be optimal in the long term. Having children at very close intervals (less than one and a half to two years) puts both mother and baby at risk.

For mum, she would not have had enough time to build back her stock of nutrients like iron and folate. Some studies also suggest that she’s also more likely to have placental problems like placenta previa or placenta abruption.

For more details on these placental problems, please click on these link:

Daily Health Tips: Placenta Previa

Daily Health Tips: Can Placenta Previa Recur In My Pregnancy?

Daily Health Tips: Placental Abruption!

For baby, there are risks of being born premature or having a low birth weight when born.

In addition to these, the economic and emotional stress are issues to contend with. Having children is a lot more than bringing them to life, having two toddlers running around all day may very well take its toll 😀

Just as there are risks with babies born too close together, there are also risks for children born too far apart (greater than 5 years). Interestingly, they are the same risks of babies being born premature, having a low birth weight or small size for age of pregnancy. The mother is prone to high blood pressure.

Having said all of these, remember that these are guides. For women who started having their babies late (perhaps from 30 years), it’s difficult to stick with this dictum as they want to make the best use of the childbearing years they have left. And who can blame them 🙂 Remember that if you do find yourself pregnant for another baby while breastfeeding another baby, continue breastfeeding except you have a history of premature babies, premature contractions or multiple pregnancy. Always check with your doctor.

So, in a nutshell, the optimal space between babies should be one and a half to two years and less than 5 years.

Have a great night y’all 😀

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Daily Health Tips: How Can My Husband Increase His Sperm Count?

Posted on June 10, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

Hello y’all 🙂 I hope you had a great day. I had a very good one…busy, tiring but very good. But hey, I can’t go to bed yet until I serve up a health tip, right? 😀

Unfortunately, despite pulling, tugging and literally dragging all my strings, I still couldn’t get through to any official at the Ministry of Health in Port Harcourt to fill in the missing gaps in the #strangedeaths there. I will continue from where I left off tomorrow.
But hey, if you work for the Ministry of Health in Rivers State, please reach out and give us some contacts. The Permanent Secretary for the Ministry or the Director of Public Health will do just fine. Failing that, anyone in the ministry 🙂

And now, for the question of the day….

Q: Please Doc, my husband has low sperm count according to his last semen analysis , please how can he increase the count?

A: Thanks for writing in. Low sperm count can be caused by several factors: lifestyle factors, medical or environmental issues.
Lifestyle factors like smoking, drinking alcohol, being overweight and even stress can lead to low sperm count.

Medical issues like cancer and Sexually Transmitted Infections have been implicated in low sperm count too.

People who are over-exposed to X-rays or overheat their scrotum in hot baths or sauna may also be at risk of this.

For full details of other causes and what to do, please click on the links below:

Daily Health Tips: Low Sperm Count

Daily Health Tips: Does Semen Flow-Back After Sexual Intercourse Affect Fertility?

Daily Health Tips: What Does My Semen Analysis Report Mean?

Where the self-help tips do not help, other treatment modalities like surgery, medications etc may also be used by your husband’s doctor depending on what he finds as cause of the problem.

Have a good night, y’all 😀

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Daily Health Tips: Ogogoro Again?

Posted on June 9, 2015 by chatwithdrketch

First it was Irele in Ondo State. Questions were asked, ‘are the gods to blame?’ ‘Is it Sapele water?’  It was eventually found that it was indeed due to methanol poisoning from illicit gin (Sapele water, Ogogoro,  Kaikai,  Paraga etc).

Now, Rivers State is in the news for something similar. Is it food poisoning from dog meat? Is it illicit gin, yet again? Some people have already died. What symptoms did these people have before they died? I will have more information by tomorrow.

In the meantime, if you missed my post on poisoning from illicit gin, please click on this link https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/04/24/daily-health-tips-matters-arising-from-irele-ondo-state-methanol-poisoning/

….and stay safe, people. Stay safe

Have a good night 🙂

Posted in Dr Ketch, Illicit gin, Methanol poisoning | Leave a comment